Soup bowl with spoon well

ABSTRACT

A bowl adapted for use by persons of limited dexterity includes an inclined bottom and a well adjacent the inclined bottom. The well and inclined bottom cooperate with walls of the bowl to improve the ability of a user to gather liquid and materials from the bowl.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure is related to a vessel such as a bowl for storing materials that may be removed with a spoon, such as for consuming soup. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to a bowl formed with a bottom having a well formed therein.

While able bodied persons typically use standard utensils and tableware, a multitude of persons have difficulty controlling their motor skills to effectively eat. Children, the elderly and people with disabilities may struggle with eating. Conditions such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia, arthritis, or neurological disorders may experience varying degrees of difficulty.

However, many wish to be independent and reduce the outward appearance of their limitations. While there are many products that are available to help with independence for these individuals, those products appear clinical and present as obviously different from day-to-day tableware. There is therefore a need for tableware that is effective at helping those with limited motor skills, while also having an aesthetic that is suitable for day-to-day use by persons of all abilities.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure includes one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a vessel embodied as a bowl comprises an upper portion, a lower portion, and a bottom. The lower portion includes a first descending interior surface, a well wall coupled to the first descending interior surface. The bottom is formed to include an incline surface having a higher side and a lower side, and a well. The well is positioned such that the lower side of the incline surface and the well wall are adjacent the well such that material within the bowl is urged by gravity to the well.

In some embodiments, the first descending surface of the lower portion has a lower end that terminates at the incline surface of the bottom.

In some embodiments, the bottom is formed to include a stand that supports the bowl on a planar surface.

In some embodiments, the stand varies in height to support the inclined surface.

In some embodiments, the upper portion comprises an upper wall that is symmetrical about a central axis.

In some embodiments, the upper portions further comprises a lip extending from the upper wall, the lip being symmetrical about the central axis.

In some embodiments, the well is positioned offset from the central axis.

In some embodiments, the upper portion is symmetrical about a central axis and the well is offset from the central axis.

In some embodiments, the lower portion is not symmetrical about the central axis.

In some embodiments, the first descending interior surface of the lower portion has a lower edge which terminates at the incline surface of the bottom, and wherein the well is formed with a convex upper surface that has an upper edge that terminates at both the well wall and the incline surface of the bottom.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vessel embodied as a bowl comprises sidewalls and a bottom formed to include an inclined surface and a well. The inclined surface has a higher end and a lower end, the lower end terminating at the well. The well has a convex upper surface that lies below the lower end and the inclined surface is configured support materials such that gravity urges the materials from the higher end toward the lower end and into the well.

In some embodiments, a portion of the sidewalls are asymmetrical.

In some embodiments, the bowl further comprises a stand extending from the bottom, the stand configured to support the bowl on a planar surface.

In some embodiments, a portion of the sidewalls are symmetrical.

In some embodiments, the sidewalls comprise an upper wall that is symmetrical about a central axis and a lower wall which is not symmetrical about the central axis.

In some embodiments, the lower wall comprises a first descending surface that narrows vertically to terminate at the inclined surface of the bottom.

In some embodiments, the lower wall further comprises a well wall that extends about a portion of the lower portion, the well wall having a lower edge that terminates at the well, the well.

Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), such as those listed above and/or those listed in the claims, can comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the embodiments as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a upper front perspective view of a bowl in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a lower back perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a left elevation view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a right side elevation view thereof;

FIG. 5 is front elevation view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a back elevation view thereof;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIG. 9 is a cross-section view thereof, taken along lines 9-9 in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section view thereof, taken along lines 10-10 in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 11 is a cross-section view thereof, taken along lines 11-11 in FIG. 1 ; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 11 , but the view of FIG. 12 shows two of the bowls stacked.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An open-top vessel embodied as a bowl 10 according to the present disclosure is shown in various views in FIGS. 1-11 and is configured to improve the ability of a user to use a spoon or other similar utensil to remove material from the vessel 10. The bowl 10 is formed to include a well 12 in a lower region of the bowl 10, the well 12 providing an area where liquid or semi-liquid materials will collect due to the effect of gravity on the materials when the bowl 10 is positioned on a flat surface. As will be explained in further detail below, the structure of the bowl 10 allows the bowl 10 to be positioned in a normal orientation, while still improving the ability to remove the final fragments and/or liquid by collecting those materials in the well. As such, a person of limited dexterity may use the bowl 10 more effectively than a typical bowl having a flat bottom. The bowl 10 is well suited for use by children as well as adults with limited motor functions.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the bowl 10 is formed to include a generally circular lip 14 which flares outwardly from an upper wall 16 and which is symmetrical about an axis 24. The upper wall 16 is annular with a larger diameter 18 at the lip 14 which decreases as the upper wall 16 descends vertically from the lip 14. For purposes of discussion, the bowl 10 may be considered to have an upper portion 20 which is that portion of the bowl 10 that lies above an imaginary line 22 shown in FIG. 3 . The upper portion 20 is symmetrical about the central axis 24 and includes the upper wall 16 and lip 14. A lower portion 26 is adapted to improve the collection of materials in the bowl 10 through the action of gravity such that materials are urged to the well 12.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the bowl 10 is formed to include an integrated stand 28 that is generally cylindrical and has a varying height to accommodate the presence of a bowl bottom 30 which, when the stand 28 is positioned on a flat horizontal surface (not shown), defines an incline surface 32 with a higher side 34 positioned opposite the well 12 and a lower side 36 adjacent the well 12 as shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 11 .

The stand 28 extends from a bottom surface 38 of the bowl 10 and forms a cavity 40. Importantly, and as shown in FIG. 12 , multiple bowls 10 are stackable when the bowls 10 regardless of the rotation of any of the bowls 10 about their respective axis 24. In this way, the bowls 10 nest and stack in an orderly fashion.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a line of inflection 46 that corresponds generally to the imaginary line 22 is eccentric when viewed along axis 24 as shown in FIG. 7 . The lower portion 26 includes a first descending interior surface 48 that is generally concentric relative to the upper wall 16. The descending interior surface 48 intersects the incline surface 32 at an inflection line 72. A well wall region 50 is defined by two inflection lines 52, 54 and establishes well wall 56 that declines from the interior surface 58 of the upper wall 20 into the well 12. The well wall 56 provides a surface 60 which may be engaged by a utensil as the user moves the utensil toward the well 12. The well 12 is formed to include a convex surface 62 which intersects and extends from the incline surface 32 at an inflection line 70, providing a user clearance to place the utensil in the well 12 to gather liquid and other materials from the well 12.

In working the utensil down into the well 12 and up against either the well wall 56 or toward the incline surface 32, the action of the utensil, such as a spoon, for example, moves material out of the well 12, but the effect of gravity urges the material back toward and onto the utensil. In other words, a user may make use of the well 12 not just to gather materials, but also as clearance for the utensil and use the effect of gravity on the well wall 56 and incline surface 32 to collect those materials.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. From reading the present disclosure, other modifications will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. Such modifications may involve other features, which are already known in the art and may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.

Although this disclosure refers to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the subject matter set forth in the accompanying claims. 

1. A bowl comprising: an upper portion including an upper wall that has a larger interior diameter that decreases as the upper wall descends vertically; a lower portion including a first descending interior surface that intersects an interior surface of the upper wall, a well wall coupled to the first descending interior surface; and a bottom, the bottom including: an incline surface having a higher side and a lower side, and an open well, the well positioned such that the lower side of the incline surface and the well wall are adjacent the well such that material within the bowl is urged by gravity to the well.
 2. The bowl of claim 1, wherein the first descending surface of the lower portion has a lower end that terminates at the incline surface of the bottom.
 3. The bowl of claim 1, wherein the bottom is formed to include a stand that supports the bowl on a planar surface.
 4. The bowl of claim 3, wherein the stand varies in height to support the inclined surface.
 5. The bowl of claim 1, wherein the upper wall is symmetrical about a central axis.
 6. The bowl of claim 5, wherein the upper portion further comprises a lip extending from the upper wall, the lip being symmetrical about the central axis.
 7. The bowl of claim 6, wherein the well is positioned offset from the central axis.
 8. The bowl of claim 1, wherein the upper portion is symmetrical about a central axis and the well is offset from the central axis.
 9. The bowl of claim 8, wherein the lower portion is not symmetrical about the central axis.
 10. The bowl of claim 1, wherein the first descending interior surface of the lower portion has a lower edge which terminates at the incline surface of the bottom, and wherein the well is formed with a convex upper surface that has an upper edge that terminates at both the well wall and the incline surface of the bottom. 11-18. (canceled)
 19. The bowl of claim 4, wherein the upper portion is symmetrical about a central axis and the well is offset from the central axis.
 20. The bowl of claim 19, wherein the lower portion is not symmetrical about the central axis.
 21. The bowl of claim 20, wherein the stand has a wall having a first vertical height adjacent the lower side of the incline surface and second vertical height larger than the first vertical height adjacent the higher side of the incline surface. 